Counseling across Cultures

Offering a primary focus on North American cultural and ethnic diversity while addressing global questions and issues, Counseling Across Cultures, Seventh Edition draws on the expertise of 48 invited contributors to examine the cultural context of accurate assessment and appropriate interventions in counseling diverse clients. The book’s chapters highlight work with African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/as, American Indians, refugees, individuals in marginalized situations, international students, those with widely varying religious beliefs, and many others. Edited by pioneers in multicultural counseling, this volume articulates the positive contributions that can be achieved when multicultural awareness is incorporated into the training of counselors.

Paul B. Pedersen is a visiting professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hawaii and professor emeritus at Syracuse University. He has taught at the University of Minnesota, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and for six years at universities in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Pedersen was also on the summer school faculty at Harvard University, 1984-988 and the University of Pittsburgh “semester at sea” voyage around the world, spring 1992. International experience includes numerous consulting experiences in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America and Europe, and a Senior Fulbright award teaching at National Taiwan University 1999-2000. He has authored, co-authored or edited 40 books, 99 articles, and 72 chapters on aspects of multicultural counseling and international communication. Pedersen is a fellow in Divisions 9, 17, 45 and 52 of the American Psychological Association. 

Walter J. Lonner, professor emeritus of psychology, Western Washington University, is a charter member, past president, and honorary fellow of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP). Lonner has been involved with about 40 books featuring various topics in psychology and culture, including the seminal six-volume Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology (1980). For 25 years he was co-editor (with John Berry) of the SAGE book series, Cross-Cultural Research and Methodology. In 1969 Lonner co-founded the Center for Cross-Cultural Research at (then) Western Washington State College. He is founding and special issues editor of the flagship Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and founding editor of IACCP’s Online Readings in Psychology and Culture. He has had sabbatical leaves in Germany (as a Fulbright scholar), Mexico, and New Zealand (twice) and has participated in conferences in more than 30 countries. In 2014 he received the “Outstanding Contributions to International Psychology” award from Division 52 (International Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.  

Juris G. Draguns was born in Latvia, completed primary schooling in his native country, graduated from high school in Germany, and obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees in the United States. His PhD in clinical psychology is from the University of Rochester. In 1997 he retired from Pennsylvania State University as professor emeritus of psychology. Draguns has taught and lectured, in five languages, at the University of Mainz in Germany; Lund University in Sweden; East-West Center in Hawaii; Flinders University of South Australia; National Taiwan University in Taipei, University of the Americas-Puebla in Cholula, Mexico; University of Latvia and Baltic Russian Institute, both in Riga; and Baltic Defense College in Tartu, Estonia. He continues to pursue his interests in cross-cultural research on psychotherapy and counseling and other topics. Draguns is recipient of American Psychological Association’s Award for Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology and of an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Latvia, as well as Penn State’s Distinguished Emeritus Award. He is a past president of Society for Cross-Cultural Research.

Joseph E. Trimble, a distinguished university professor and professor of psychology at Western Washington University, is a president’s professor at the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has written over 140 publications on multicultural topics in psychology, including 19 books. Trimble’s excellence in teaching and research awards for his work in the field of multicultural psychology include: the Janet E. Helms Award for Mentoring and Scholarship in Professional Psychology; the Distinguished Elder Award from the National Multicultural Conference and Summit; the Henry Tomes Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Psychology; the International Lifetime Achievement Award for Multicultural and Diversity Counseling awarded by the University of Toronto′s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education; the 2013 Francis J. Bonner, MD Award from the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital; and the 2013 Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award.

María R. Scharrón-del Río is an associate professor and the program coordinator of the School Counseling Program in the Department of School Psychology, Counseling, and Leadership (SPCL) at Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY). She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, and completed her clinical internship at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. After moving to New York City, Scharrón-del Río worked as a child psychologist at the Washington Heights Family Health Center, a primary-care clinic that serves a predominantly Latino/a immigrant community. She is an active leader in GLARE (GLBTQ Advocacy in Research and Education) since joining the Brooklyn College faculty in 2006. Scharrón-del Río is committed to the development of multicultural competencies in counselors, psychologists, and educators using experiential and affective educational approaches.  Her research, scholarship, and advocacy focuses on ethnic and cultural minority psychology and education, including multicultural competencies, LGBTQ issues, gender variance, mental health disparities, spirituality, resiliency, and well-being.